The black-haired girl sparred a dozen more rounds with her mother, finding an opportunity to try Word of Pain. Caught off guard by the sudden agony, Lady Shiva stumbled, her movements faltering. The direct result was that she took a palm strike to the ribs from her daughter.
The two quickly ended their match. The girl stood to the side, barely suppressing her laughter. Her expression made it clear she was thrilled. Sure, it was a sneak attack and her mother hadn't been serious, but this was Lady Shiva—legendary for being the world's greatest martial artist!
"Using that ability without warning is definitely effective." Lady Shiva nodded with certainty.
"Alright, that's enough trouble, little Thea... Thank you for your help!" Without wasting words, Lady Shiva prepared to leave immediately.
For this woman who came and went like the wind, Thea didn't know what to say. She wanted to ask her to stay a few more days but knew she'd likely refuse. All she could do was take an indirect approach. "What are your plans for Cassandra's future?"
Lady Shiva, who'd been gathering her belongings, stopped and thought for a long while before finally speaking. "Your household would've been ideal, but unfortunately, you're too famous now. Send her to Batman instead. She shouldn't end up half in the shadows like me. She should be a good person. I'm entrusting this all to you!"
Lady Shiva looked at Thea with unusual seriousness.
Her own situation really wasn't suitable. The media's intrusive nature was no joke. A child suddenly appearing in the household would create massive complications.
Batman was an excellent choice. Thea didn't need much time to consider before nodding in agreement.
Lady Shiva stroked Cassandra's head, pressing her own forehead against her daughter's and closing her eyes in silent contemplation for a long moment. Without saying a single word, she turned, shouldered her pack, and left the room.
"Your mother is a woman with a powerful inner strength." Thea quietly comforted the young Cassandra. The girl stared unblinking at the receding figure, silent for a long time.
Thea couldn't understand Lady Shiva's mentality—lightly setting aside all bonds to pursue ultimate strength with single-minded focus. She'd never make that choice herself. The behavior couldn't be called great, but it absolutely deserved to be called strong.
Compared to those who gained supernatural abilities and immediately lost all perspective, Lady Shiva's spirit was pure as gold.
The black-haired girl seemed accustomed to her mother disappearing for days at a time. Highly independent, she quickly collected herself. Knowing she was going somewhere new, she efficiently packed her bag and carefully grasped the corner of Thea's clothing.
"Hold on to me. We're about to visit a dark cave." After speaking, Thea gripped the girl's shoulder and activated teleportation.
But an accident occurred. As the teleport completed, she discovered an obscure energy interfering with the coordinates. They hadn't entered the Batcave but had arrived outdoors instead.
The black-haired girl looked at her silently. Where's the promised dark cave?
Thea stood there with her eyes closed, teeth clenched in frustration. She could practically feel a vein throbbing on her forehead. What the hell kind of black-box tech had Batman invented now? He could actually interfere with her teleportation!
She genuinely couldn't comprehend how scientific means could block magical transportation! Batman's technology level, judging by current capabilities, was at least a thousand years ahead of Earth!
This countermeasure was undoubtedly designed specifically for her. Thoroughly annoyed, she at least took comfort that the deviation wasn't too far off—she still remembered the Batcave's location. Pulling Cassandra along, she headed in the other direction.
After winding around and activating a hidden mechanism, the two descended a spiral staircase into the cave.
The Batcave had already detected movement. Two figures rushed out to greet them.
Thea recognized them immediately. "Dick, Barbara, long time no see." The arrivals were none other than Nightwing and Batgirl.
But both wore unnatural expressions. Nightwing's demeanor was somewhat gloomy. "Thea, are you here for Batman?"
"Obviously." Thea's brow furrowed. That was a ridiculous question—she could hardly be visiting the Batcave to find Superman.
Nightwing and Barbara exchanged glances, responding with somewhat bitter smiles. "He's a bit busy right now. Come with us and you'll understand. Your... acquaintance is also here."
My acquaintance? I have acquaintances all over the place. Who knows who you're talking about? The exterior of this godforsaken cave was covered in lead, completely blocking her super-vision from seeing inside. She had no choice but to follow them deeper.
Along the way, she introduced Cassandra's situation. Thea remembered that in the future, the girl would become Batgirl, so she should be compatible with the Batcave.
Neither could make that decision and could only offer limited welcome.
Entering the cave's depths, Thea immediately spotted her acquaintance. Her own brother, Green Arrow Oliver, was actually here!
Standing beside him with an awkward expression was the Demon's Head's younger daughter, the square-jawed Nyssa.
The eternally beloved father-in-law figure, Ra's al Ghul, was waving his arms emphatically about something. Batman, masked and suited even in his own home, stood with a dark expression arguing with the old man. A tall woman stood on the periphery of the group—none other than Talia, whom Thea hadn't seen in ages.
Holy crap, something big is going down! The thought flashed through Thea's mind instantly. Too bad teleportation was blocked here, or she'd definitely drag Diana over to watch this drama unfold!
The five of them formed a small circle, engaged in heated discussion. All of them had noticed Thea's arrival, but none had time for more than a glance. Only Oliver awkwardly waved at her.
What on earth is happening? Thea's curiosity was overwhelming.
She needed to find someone who knew the situation. Nightwing and Barbara were tight-lipped types—asking them would be useless. Better to ask Oliver.
The third Robin on the other side was unfamiliar to Thea. Catwoman was over there cutting something with a small knife, hardly the ideal conversation partner either.
"Hey, Damian! You see me and don't even say hello!" Thea pulled young Cassandra along and plopped down beside Damian. The kid was now ten years old, beginning to show signs of adolescence. When Thea approached, he'd been sitting alone on the steps, staring woodenly at the five people arguing below.
"Oh—" Damian greeted her listlessly before returning his attention to the group.
"What are they doing? Come on, spill." Thea smiled brilliantly.
Damian grimaced, reluctant to speak. But his childhood trauma still held sway. In the end, he obediently recounted the whole story.
The situation was extremely complicated. In this timeline, Ra's al Ghul had fallen from power too early. His approach to dealing with Green Arrow wasn't as violent as in the original timeline. Instead, he'd adopted a softer strategy, which had completely won over the soft-hearted Oliver.
When Ra's one day made a heartfelt request to help him reclaim the League of Assassins, Oliver had wrestled with his conscience for a long time. After much hesitation, he'd finally agreed.
But Oliver wasn't braindead. There was no way he'd charge into Nanda Parbat single-handedly. Thanks to Thea, he knew Bruce and Damian. Arriving at the Batcave, the two of them put their heads together and came up with a plan: trick Damian's mother into coming back.